The present proposal outlines a plan for the recruitment and retention of a junior research faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at Emory University. Applicants for the position are expected to establish an independent and externally funded research program in the area of computational protein design and evolution. This research area is projected to be one of strong growth in the near-term and fulfills a critical need for an individual that can bridge the gap between computational, synthetic, and physical methods for the structural analysis of biomacromolecules. In addition to the highly collaborative research environment within the Chemistry Department itself, the newly hired faculty member will invited to actively participate in the Center for Fundamental and Applied Evolution (FAME), a collaboration of eighteen research groups from multiple departments at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology with a shared interest in the processes of macromolecular design and adaptive evolution. Furthermore, the new faculty member will have access to the computational resources of the Emerson Computational Center (ECC), as well as collaborative opportunities with the Emory Drug Discovery Institute (EDDI). We believe that the presence of these research centers represents an attractive environment for the recruitment of junior faculty with interests in fundamental research of high potential biomedical significance. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed faculty position in computational protein design and evolution fills a critical gap in the area of bridging theoretical and experimental biomolecular chemistry. The position is highly complementary to ongoing research efforts in the Emory Chemistry Department (computational chemistry &drug design) and the joint center for Fundamental and Applied Evolution at Emory and the Georgia Institute of Technology.